


Tall Tales and Hidden Truths

by YunHo_1819



Series: Garrison Shenanigans [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bullying, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Galaxy Garrison, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Original Character(s), POV Keith (Voltron), POV Matt Holt, Platonic Relationships, Pre-Canon, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26839972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YunHo_1819/pseuds/YunHo_1819
Summary: Thankful that nobody noticed him, Matt sneaked closer, tiptoeing towards the table. He could start to make out their conversation.“Ugh, this place stinks.”“Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! How does he stand it anyway? He sits here all the time.”“Probably because he wants to drive people away.” The girl speaking curled her lip. “No wonder he doesn’t have any friends.”No, that wouldn’t do.Matt made his entrance.OrHow a certain Matthew holt deals with bullies.
Relationships: Matt Holt & Keith
Series: Garrison Shenanigans [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1955206
Comments: 7
Kudos: 106





	Tall Tales and Hidden Truths

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this at 1 am. My eyes are sore.
> 
> Takes place a few weeks after Matt and Keith first meet.

If there was one place Keith disliked the most about the Garrison, it was the cafeteria. Hundreds of students were always pushing and screaming, fighting and clambering for good seats, screaming for friends, and hollering at top volume. The incessant chattering never failed to give him a headache, and somehow, it was the one place where all the officers turned a blind eye towards the rowdy cadets’ antics, consequently making it the one place where students could get away with all their mischief and cruelty.

Keith usually avoided the fray, preferring to sit at the far end near the toilets, as people seldom crossed over there (possibly due to the pungent smell of ammonia). It was a little unhygienic and lonely, but nevertheless, it was the perfect sanctuary for solitary and peace, away from all the buzzing chaos.  
However today, that was not the case.

“Sittin’ alone today, loser?” Keith looked up to find the priggish face of Ashley Higgins leering down at him. She was huge and beefy, with bright orange hair curling down to her shoulders, just within Garrison requirements. Although he was pretty sure they were in the same year, Keith couldn’t help but wonder if she had been held back a year or so, as her massively huge size made him a complete dwarf in comparison. If so, age certainly was no guarantee of maturity. Then again, maybe he was just exceptionally scrawny.

Ignoring her, he turned his head back to continue eating, hoping that she would just lose interest and go away.

No such luck.

Ashley took a seat on the chair opposite him, gesturing her cronies to follow suit.

“So… How’re you feeling today Keith? I noticed that you’ve been keeping to yourself lately. What’s the matter?” she questioned derisively, sweet poison dripping from his tongue. Keith could hear the mock in her voice. He scowled at her, mentally sealing his mouth shut. He was not going to give her any satisfaction from hearing a reply.

“Oh, come on! I’m just trying to be nice. After all, I don’t want any of my classmates to be lonely.” She smiled sanctimoniously, expression dramatic, with her lips curling into a pharisaical smirk. Her cronies snickered silently.

Keith sighed, all thoughts of silence went out of the window. “Okay, okay. I’m fine. Happy? Now just go back to doing whatever you were doing and leave me alone.”

“Yeah, no. You see, I’ve decided that this would be our new spot in the canteen.” She glanced around. “It’s perfectly secluded and out of the way. And there are so many empty seats! You can’t just ask us to leave, could you?”

Keith groaned inwardly.

She smirked victoriously.

* * *

It was, by far, the longest lunch in history, with Ashley’s common jabs and snide remarks, complimented by her cronies laughing and egging her on. Most of it caused little to no effect, as he’s heard them a million times over and she didn’t really know enough about him to hit any sensitive spots, but some comments really stung.

“Hey, stop looking so grumpy among friends. No wonder nobody wants to sit with you, you drive them all away with your non-existent charm.”

“How did you get into the Garrison, anyway? Did your parents pull some strings or buy your way in?”

“I heard Iverson saying yesterday that you were the worst cadet he’s ever taught. That hurts, doesn’t it? Especially since it’s true.”

Keith kept his head down. After all, he’s been dealing with these kinds of people for years.

It’s just words. It shouldn’t hurt so much.

But why did his face feel so hot?

* * *

Matt looked around the cafeteria, looking for a place to sit. Normally he wouldn’t have this issue, but as his physics professor made him stay back to reprimand him on why his notes were taken in mirror image (He had time, and why not? Leonardo da Vinci did it too!), he missed his usual lunch time, and had to squeeze into the junior cadets’ lunch period for a quick meal.

Hmmm… Perhaps he could sit with Keith. Keith would spare him a seat, wouldn’t he? However, there was no sign of his buddy.

Where would a small, grouchy hermit go?

His eyes darted around the hall, finally landing on a small table near the toilets, far from all civilization.

Aha. Found you.

The table seemed pretty crowded, but there was a single empty seat available.

Matt ran over.

“Hey! Keith! How are… “ The greeting died in his throat. Keith didn’t look happy with his company at all. In fact, he seemed to be on the verge of tears.

Thankful that nobody noticed him, Matt sneaked closer, tiptoeing towards the table. He could start to make out their conversation.

“Ugh, this place stinks.”

“Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you! How does he stand it anyway? He sits here all the time.”

“Probably because he wants to drive people away.” The girl speaking curled her lip. “No wonder he doesn’t have any friends.”

No, that wouldn’t do.

Matt made his entrance.

* * *

Keith was so done with everything.

“Hey, Keith, my man! How’re you doin’?”

A familiar voice cut through the taunting rabble, making him glance up. To his utter astonishment, Matt was making his way towards him, holding a tray filled to the brim with pop-tarts, a blinding grin on his face. He plopped down into the seat next to him, and set his tray down on the table with a resounding _thunk!_

“You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”

The table went silent.

Eyes wide in bewilderment, Keith could only shake his head.

“Thanks a lot! Man, this lunch period is really crowded. I had to fight, like, 20 cadets to get these pop-tarts. So! would you guys like some?”

* * *

So far, so good. The occupants at the table were now muted, each of them eyeing Matt with varying degrees of wariness. Matt had no doubt that they knew who he was. After all, he was a renowned inventor and prankster among the Garrison cadets, and he did make a name for himself by creating a fully automated percolator for the officers, which somehow managed to put jelly beans in Iverson’s coffee whenever he tried to use it. He didn’t flaunt the facts, but he knew how to use them to his advantage.

Keith was staring at him as well, but for a different reason. “Why are you here? Don’t you have class?”

“Well, I do! But Professor Couper held me back for a lecture.” He wrinkled his nose, then held up his notebook, bursting with inverted, untidy scrawls. “Something about writing my notes in legible characters. I don’t know, they’re perfectly legible to me.”

A small smile played on Keith’s lips. Progress.

“Anyways, how’s my favourite buddy doing?” He slung an arm over Keith’s shoulder. “I heard that you guys just started on the simulators. Must’ve been fun, eh?”

“... Yeah. It was great.”

“Wait till you guys get to course 3. That’s where pilots go haywire. You should have seen Shiro when he was starting on the simulation for Io.” He beamed. “I’ve never seen him so stressed in my life.”

Matt droned on, chittering to Keith about random facts (Mostly about Shiro and his amusingly woeful tales) to fill in the awkward silence. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other cadets shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Good.

* * *

“Hey Keith, can I ask you for a favour?” Matt asked, lacing his voice with a faux seriousness. He glanced out of his peripheral to make sure the others were listening.

“Hmm?” Keith raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Sure. What do you need?”

“So you see, I’ve been making this device and I would like you to test it out. It’s like a G-Shock watch, except other than being completely indestructible, it can also literally shock people.”

Keith stared at him, slightly taken aback. “Why would I want that?”

“No! It doesn’t shock you. I’ve calibrated it to detect the concentration levels of MAO-A in your body, so when somebody is bothering you or whatnot, they’ll get a shock.” Matt explained. “I mean, not that you need it, I know that you already know plenty of self-defence, but it’s always good to have backup, right?” He gave a meaningful stare at Keith’s disbelieving face.

Keith caught on. He smiled thoughtfully. “Ooh, I like the sound of that. Though wouldn’t that be dangerous?”

“Oh, yes, totally! But don’t worry, it’s not fatal.” Matt smirked purposefully. “Yeah, the person would have to spend a few months in hospital, but no big deal! I mean, as long as you’re alive, it’s fine, right?”

Keith hummed. “Huh. You’re right. Actually, maybe you could add a compartment that shoots darts. Maybe coated with poison. Activates in moments of danger or something. That would be fun. And practical.”

“Alright, I’ll work on it. I’m sure my professor would love it. He seems to enjoy lethal weapons more than I do, but I’m not complaining.” Matt responded in a perfectly professional tone. “Well, we _are_ in a military school.” 

Keith bit his lip to stop the blossoming grin.

Matt peered subtly towards the other cadets.

They were staring at them slack jawed.

* * *

As soon as they left the cafeteria, they burst out laughing.

Keith glanced at him mischievously. “You made that all up, didn’t you?”

Matt shrugged. "Yeah I did. Though I could actually try making one. Maybe one with poison spikes.” He wriggled his eyebrows. 

Keith huffed in amusement, then his expression sobered. “And also… Thanks. You didn’t really have to do all that.” He looked away, hunching his shoulders. “Sorry for giving you the trouble.”

“No! No, you shouldn’t apologise for that. You don’t get to apologise for that. I wanted to do it.” Matt cut him off, eyes betraying his slight shock and distress. He slung his arm across Keith's shoulder, inadvertently pulling him into a sideways hug. 

“Besides, I wasn’t making it up when I said that I was your friend. I meant it. And that’s what we’re supposed to do, right? Help each other and all that.”

“I… Thanks.”

“No problem, buddy.”

Matt was really late for his next class.

But it was absolutely worth it.

And if some certain cadets developed a fear of watches, it certainly had nothing to do with either of them.

**Author's Note:**

> It physically pained me to write the bully’s dialogue. Akajskakak 
> 
> Please don't be bullies, guys. Even unintentional remarks can hurt people deeply, so mind your words. They carry power.  
> If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.
> 
> On a lighter note, how was the story? Any mistakes or plot holes? Let me know!  
> You can also just stop by to chat.
> 
> Btw, the science is completely made up. Usually I would mind the inaccuracies very much, but Voltron is filled with questionable science so I’ll let it slide.  
> 


End file.
